BRETT Ormerod was hailed as an example to footballers everywhere after coming off the bench to play for the second time in two days against Birmingham yesterday.

The £1.75m hitman's loan spell at Leeds ran out on Saturday - after he had played the full match against Brighton.

It meant an anxious wait for Steve Wigley to see in what shape he would return but Ormerod was healthy and requested to play - and got on for the final 24 minutes yesterday.

Wigley said: "Brett's had five games at Leeds where he's played well for them and probably he's one of the few people in the club who I could ask to do what he did yesterday.

"He was a threat when he went on and you felt he was the one person it might just fall to because he's got a good turn of pace and an unbelievable work ethic.

"He was a massive doubt. I had somebody go to the game on Saturday and when I rang him up and he said Brett had played 94 minutes in not great conditions I thought it was going to be a struggle.

"I spoke to him after the game and then he rang me up at 10 o'clock yesterday morning and told me he wanted to play.

"That's Brett Ormerod and that's the type of attitude we need at the minute.

"I know I played in a different era but we played back-to-back games over Christmas and Easter - but all 22 players on the pitch had!"

Wigley added: "Brett's one of the good people in football that you say you want to see him do very well.

"I think it would have been expecting too much to start him, I was always thinking 20-25 minutes maximum."

On a positive note, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for Wigley on the injury front.

"James (Beattie) has started running but with a cut out of his boot because he's got a splint on, but he'll have an X-ray on Wednesday and we'll see whether it's knitted together," he explained.

"Kevin Phillips is much closer and has another scan today to check the tear has healed.

"And I'm hopeful Peter Crouch will join full training by the end of the week as well so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

"Kevin has a good chance of being fit for the Arsenal game - the others will be the West Brom game."

Of Matt Oakley, Wigley added: "Matt's had his best week's training in the last year. He's been in full training all week morning and afternoon with everybody and certainly looks the best he's been for a long long time."